So who's been up watching the Leonids?

Here on the US west coast, it's about 3:30 am and they have been spectacular for about the last two hours. A few were lighting up the whole sky and casting shadows, leaving behind trails that lingered visibly in atmosphere, slowly bending and dissipating in the wind.

This is the first time I've witnessed anything like it. I'm used to seeing about one or two shooting stars in an hour. Tonight, I'm seeing about ten per minute, sometimes several happening simultaneously.

It's very striking how they all seem to be radiating outward from the same point in space (the constellation Leo, I think, hence the name).

I also took the opportunity to use the 'scope to peek at Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn's at a pretty spectacular angle, and Jupiter was clear as a bell, I could see a couple of cloud stripes even with my little 4" scope.

/me wishes for a scope with an auto-tracking motor...